Ansar al-Din Front

Supporters of the Religion Front
جبهة أنصار الدين
Ansar al-Din
LeadersAbu Abdullah al-Fajr[1]
Abu Abdullah al-Shami[2]
Dates of operation25 July 2014 – 28 January 2017[3]
1 February 2018 – present (splinter faction)[4]
Group(s)(Member groups of Ansar al-Din Front - Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya)
  • Liwa Suyuf al-Sham (greater Idlib area)[5][better source needed]
  • Islamic Dawn Movement of the Levant
    • al-Murabitin Battalion
    • Osama Battalion
    • Abu Ali Yemeni Battalion
    • Abu Hilal Zitan Battalion
  • Abna Sharia[6]
  • Ansar al-Haqq
  • Fursan al-Iman[7]
Active regionsAleppo Governorate
Idlib Governorate
Hama Governorate
Latakia Governorate[8]
IdeologySalafist jihadism[9]
Size1,000[1]
Part ofTahrir al-Sham[10]
Rouse the Believers Operations Room (splinter faction)[11]
Allies Al-Nusra Front
Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria
Ahrar al-Sham
OpponentsSyria Syria
Syrian Democratic Forces
Hezbollah
Liwa Fatemiyoun
 Iran
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

Jabhat Ansar al-Din[8] (Arabic: جبهة أنصار الدين, The Supporters of the Religion Front) is a jihadist alliance that announced itself on 25 July 2014, during the Syrian Civil War.[3] The alliance contains two groups: Harakat Sham al-Islam and Harakat Fajr ash-Sham al-Islamiya; it had declared that was not affiliated with any other "parties".[3] The Green Battalion was originally a signatory, but around October 2014, it swore allegiance to the leader of Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar and was integrated into that faction.[15] The alliance had attempted to maintain neutrality in the conflict between ISIL and other groups.[8] On January 28, 2017, it joined with numerous other factions to form Tahrir al-Sham,[16] though portions of it left HTS in February 2018.[10]

The groups involved in the coalition have diverse memberships; Harakat Fajr Sham al-Islamiya numbers mostly Syrians from the Aleppo area,[17] while Harakat Sham al-Islam was formed around a core of Moroccan fighters,[18] the Green Battalion mainly had fighters from Saudi Arabia[18] and Jaish al-Mujahireen wal-Ansar was formed by Chechen and other Russian-speaking fighters.[19] On 23 September 2015, Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar left and joined Jabhat al-Nusra.[20]

  1. ^ a b Mohammad Abdulssattar Ibrahim (22 September 2019). "Is HTS benefitting from Coalition airstrikes against foreign jihadists?". Syria Direct. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Moroccan jihadist group merges with local Syrian faction". Long War Journal. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Syria Update: July 17 - 25, 2014". Institute for the Study of War Syria Updates. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Ibn Nabih on Twitter".
  5. ^ @sayed_ridha (January 1, 2017). "The same group which operates in..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "Ibn Nabih on Twitter".
  7. ^ "Twitter / Account Suspended". twitter.com.
  8. ^ a b c "Jabhat Ansar al-Din: Analysis and Interview". Syria Comment. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  9. ^ "Control of Terrain in Syria: February 9, 2015" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015. the Aleppo Salafi Jihadist coalition Jabhat Ansar al-Din.
  10. ^ a b "New component split from "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham"". Syria Call. 9 February 2018. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Military groups calling themselves "the finest factions of the Levant" form joint operations room". Syria Call. 15 October 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Jihadists and other rebels launch new offensive in Aleppo - FDD's Long War Journal". FDD's Long War Journal.
  13. ^ "Second Idlib Stronghold Falls to Jabhat al-Nusra and Rebel Forces".
  14. ^ "ISW Blog". iswresearch.blogspot.com.
  15. ^ "Video: Saudi Faction Swears Allegiance To Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar Emir". From Chechnya To Syria. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Syria Islamist factions, including former al Qaeda branch, join forces: statement". Reuters. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  17. ^ "Syria's Salafi Insurgents: the Rise of the Syrian Islamic Front" (PDF). Swedish Institute for International Affairs. March 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  18. ^ a b "The Syrian rebel groups pulling in foreign fighters". BBC. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  19. ^ "Chechen commander forms 'Army of Emigrants,' integrates Syrian groups". Long War Journal. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  20. ^ "Insurgent group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda's Syria wing". Reuters. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.

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